The great Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, "If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."
This sentiment rang true on Saturday, April 5, at the Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield’s Inaugural Founders’ Gala, held at the Gaelic American Club in Fairfield, Connecticut.
The Executive and Steering Committees of the IGHMF had been working hard on the event since early December. It was this “exchange of ideas” and collaboration that led to an evening filled with memorable moments.
Two recently acquired Famine-era paintings by Alfred Downing Fripp were unveiled, and guests enjoyed a silent and live auction, music by harpist Wendy Kerner, and a stunning performance by violinist Arav Amin, who had just graduated from Julliard’s pre-college earlier that day.
Amin's performance captivated the attendees, leaving the room in complete silence. You could, quite literally, hear a pin drop.
This landmark event drew an impressive crowd, not only from Fairfield’s Irish community but also from neighboring towns. Everyone was eager to support the museum’s mission of educating the public and commemorating Ireland’s Great Hunger.
Among the distinguished guests were Deputy Consul Gareth Hargadon, American Irish Historical Society Executive Director Elizabeth Stack, Ryan Mahoney and PJ Cimini of the Ireland Connecticut Business Council. Each played a vital role in strengthening Irish-American ties and their speeches stressed the importance of the meaningful lessons from The Great Hunger and how those lessons are relevant to events unfolding at present in the world.
Steering Committee Members (L & R) Chrystyne Maloney and Dorethe Brennan with Executive Committee member Kendra Williamson at the IGHMF Founders' Gala on April 5th
A highlight of the evening was the art auction, featuring works donated to the event by renowned artists Rowan Gillespie and Kieran Tuohy to name a few.
Gillespie’s evocative bronze sculpture, Later Love, was auctioned for $12,000. In a generous gesture, the winning bidder donated the sculpture back to the museum, ensuring its place in the IGHMF collection. This act of kindness highlighted the innate commitment of attendees to preserving Irish heritage.
Later Love, created and donated by Irish Sculptor, Rowan Gillespie, sold for $12,000 and was donated back to the IGHMF for the museum.
Beyond the art and notable guests, the gala celebrated unity. The overwhelming support and enthusiastic turnout showed that the museum’s vision is shared by many.
As IGHMF moves closer to securing a permanent home in Fairfield’s Historic District, events like this highlight the importance of collective efforts in preserving history for future generations.
The IGHMF also shared early membership opportunities with the guests, selling limited edition Founder’s pins. The demand is still so great that the group are receiving donations to date to help build the new museum which will be located at 636 Old Post Road in Fairfield.
Following the gala, the two Fripp paintings will join The Great Hunger Collection, which will now be on display at Fairfield University's Walsh Museum. Fairfield University has planned three events in conjunction with the exhibition, An Gorta Mór: Selections from Ireland's Great Hunger Museum. This exhibition showcases artwork that explores the impact of the Irish Famine (1845-1852) through pieces by both historical and contemporary Irish and Irish-American artists.
On Thursday, April 10 was an opening lecture titled "Historical Origins of the Great Hunger" by Dr. William Abbott, Associate Professor of History and Irish Studies, in the Kelley Theatre. Following the lecture, a reception for An Gorta Mór – Selections from Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum was hosted in the Walsh Gallery and Lobby.
Additionally, on Tuesday, April 15 at 6 pm, Dr. Niamh O’Sullivan, Professor Emerita of Visual Culture at the National College of Art and Design, Ireland, will deliver a special lecture on "The History of Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum Collection" in the Barone Campus Center, Dogwood Room. Both lectures will be streamed live on thequicklive.com. Registration is required for all events held at Fairfield University.
The Founders’ Gala was more than an evening of fine art and cultural appreciation, it was a powerful reminder that when a community comes together, it can create something truly lasting. The evening exemplified the strength of community, collaboration, and cultural preservation.
Central to all speeches was the connective tissue between immigrants, be they Irish or from another country—we are all from somewhere else and want to keep a bit of our homelands alive in our new home, reminding our descendants where we came from, what we endured, and our resilience; recognition of that invisible thread keeping us tied to Ireland and its heritage and the importance of preserving that identity abroad.
It was also George Bernard Shaw who said, “Eternal is the fact that the human creature born in Ireland and brought up in its air is Irish. I have lived for twenty years in Ireland and for seventy-two in England; but the twenty came first and in Britain I am still a foreigner and shall die one."
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